Moments
by Colette Irving
Summary: A collection of unrelated oneshots about the relationship between a certain headless biker and a certain underground doctor, may cause cavities.
1. Possibilities

Author's Note: Hello, everybody! This is my second CeltyxShinra fic, and there are many more to come because I absolutely LOVE this pairing, and as of episode 12, it's canon! :D Well, okay, I mostly just love living vicariously through Celty and imagining my head where hers would be, but whatever. This is a short fic, but I think it turned out pretty sweet. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

* * *

**Possibilities**

What was he thinking?

Well, it was certainly consistent with his personality to be standing by the door, a velvet Santa hat sitting on his head, waiting for her to step through and fall victim to the cluster of artificial green leaves and red berries hanging there. It was perfectly natural for him to want a kiss from the girl he'd been chasing after for the past twenty years. Or rather, it would have been perfectly natural for him to want such a thing if it weren't _physically impossible_.

Even he couldn't be stupid enough to expect her to do some kind of magic trick and somehow make a mouth appear out of thin air. Yet, there he stood, seemingly anticipating just that. She silently cursed him for managing to look so cute while acting like such an idiot.

_**Baka.**_** You know I can't kiss you. I would if I could, but…**

The next thing she knew, she was wrapped up in his arms, his gentle laugh creating a sensation where her ears would be.

"Just knowing that you want to is enough."

His embrace grew tighter.

"Besides, just because _you_ can't kiss _me_ doesn't mean that _I_ can't kiss _you_."

She then felt his lips softly touching her neck, and she subconsciously returned his hug with one arm around his waist and the opposite hand touching the side of his face.

After a period of time that could have been anywhere from seconds to hours as far as she knew, she took one hand away and reached for her phone.

**Thank you.

* * *

**

Author's Note: Don't ask me why I wrote something Christmassy in March because I really have no clue.

_4/4/10:_ _Attention! What began as a stand-alone oneshot is now going to become one of many chapters in a oneshot collection. I'm going to be writing a lot about this pairing in the near future, so it just makes sense to put it all together in one fic. None of the chapters will be directly related, though. Also, if you're looking for my 'Fear' fic, I have deleted it because it's not canon, and I don't like to stray from canon, so it's bothering me. If you want to read it again, I can PM it to you. Thank you to all my supporters, and please continue to read my work! -Love, Meri-chan_**  
**


	2. Warmth

Author's Note: Ahem! I would like to inform everyone that I am now a member of the Dollars! If you'd like to follow in my footsteps, please go to:

dollars (dot) wolfram-shadow (dot) com (slash) index (dot) php (question mark) action (equals) forum

Now that that's out of the way, this little snippet is _pure fanservice_. I hope it makes you squee! :)

**

* * *

Warmth**

Over the past few weeks, the weather had been getting notably warmer. The sun was showing its face for considerably longer periods of time each day, and with it came flocks of children, filling the air with their playful screams as they enjoyed energetic games of tag and kickball, taking short breaks whenever the ice cream truck came around. It was only a matter of time before neighbours would start opening their pools and finding a common patio to mingle on as they sipped their tropical drinks.

The whole atmosphere gave Celty a pleasant feeling; it was definitely true that weather affected one's emotions. And while she would never admit this, the fact that she and Shinra were officially dating made this spring season more pleasant than any in the past.

Laughing children and gatherings of stereotypical middle-class people were not the only noticeable changes brought about by the weather this year. As it got hotter, Shinra started walking around the house without a shirt. Celty wasn't sure what to make of this. Half of her found it hilarious that he was trying so hard to turn her on (though she had to admit, it was kind of working), while the other half was engulfed in warm fuzzies. His efforts to impress her were just so darn _cute_, and while he wasn't muscular or anything, he did look kind of nice shirtless.

Whenever she arrived home from work, he would greet her with an ear-to-ear smile, a tight hug, and a "Welcome home, Beautiful!" As silly as his actions were, they were genuine, and Celty liked them. Her stomach would get this strange sensation that she had seen described as 'butterflies' in books. Obviously, she had never experienced the effects of alcohol, but she imagined they must be something like this.

If the arrival of summer meant more antics from a half-naked Shinra, Celty had to admit that she was looking forward to it.


	3. Surprise

**Surprise**

"What's wrong, honey?"

Shinra Kishitani made his way down the stairs of his newly bought house with an arm around his wife's shoulders.

**Promise me you won't faint?**

Shinra laughed somewhat nervously. "What could possibly be that shocking?"

The couple settled down on a wine red couch, a wedding gift from Shizuo. Shinra looked over Celty's shoulder, trying to read the words she was typing, but she kept leaning in the opposite direction so that he couldn't see the message until after it was complete.

After what felt like at least five minutes, she held the phone up.

**I'm pregnant.**

Shinra stared at the woman beside him, not blinking once. Words like 'what' and 'huh' kept repeating in his head.

"Celty, you told me that was impossible."

**Well, I thought it was, but clearly I was wrong!**

After a little more staring, Shinra grabbed Celty's hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb.

"Well, I can't say I'm not surprised, but it's definitely a good surprise! I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl…Will it have a head? Hopefully it'll get more of your genes than mine…"

The doctor rambled on, not noticing the text in Celty's empty hand.

**Shinra.**

She waved her phone on front of his face, but he was completely oblivious.

**Shinra.**

Still no response. Celty shrugged. There was only one way to get his attention now. Resting her phone on the cushion next to her, she clenched her fist and punched Shinra in the gut.

This seemed to snap him out of his trance. "Ow, Celty! I didn't even do anything this time? What's the matter?"

Celty was a little hesitant to tell her husband the truth. She hadn't expected him to react so happily, and she felt kind of mean to have to snap him out of it…

Shinra was grinning idiotically in a similar fashion to the way he had smiled when she agreed to marry him.

…But then, it would be much worse to continue this charade any longer. Better to interrupt a two minute fantasy than a nine month one.

**April fools.**

Shinra's jaw dropped, but he immediately plastered another smile on his face.

"That was mean, Celty! I might just file for divorce!"

**I'm guessing that's another April Fools joke?**

Shinra returned his arm to its position around Celty's shoulders, and the other soon followed.

"Hehe, you caught me. You know I love you way too much for that."

Celty leaned into the embrace as Shinra planted multiple kisses on her neck. She was unable to text a reply in this position, but she was sure he knew that she loved him too.


	4. A Reminder

Author's Note: Hello, readers! I've been in a good mood lately, due to spending some time at Tora-Con today. :D I had a great time cosplaying as Mieu (from Tales of the Abyss), and I'm totally looking forward to cosplaying as Erika tomorrow! This wonderful just-got-back-from-the-con feeling has inspired me to write some fluff, and so this oneshot was born. It takes place just after episode 14 (and will hopefully not be made un-canon in future episodes). Enjoy!

* * *

**A Reminder**

"Are you mad?"

Shinra looked up from his bed, clearly not having achieved anything close to sleep while his girlfriend was off _thinking_. Maybe it was the lack of glasses; maybe it was his noticeably uncomfortable body language, but something about him just didn't look right. Celty couldn't help but feel somewhat worried.

**Not at you.**

It was the truth. While that father of his was undeniably a jackass, Shinra was genuinely a good person. She would have preferred to hear the truth about being cut by Saika earlier, but the fact that he told her before she had the chance to find out on her own was certainly an improvement, and she was proud of him, not to mention flattered that he was so desperate to keep her by his side. The secret he had kept from her up until six months ago was definitely not something she approved of, but the euphoria of knowing just how loved she was had overwhelmed her, and it hadn't faded at all since then.

Shinra breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! I wouldn't want to sleep alone tonight."

Celty snuggled into the covers next to the young man, no longer as hesitant to show him affection as he was when they first became a couple. Shinra leaned into her, his feathery hair tickling her shoulder.

**Shinra?**

"Yes?"

**If there's anything else that I should know, would you please just tell me now?**

The doctor pensively moved his head up a few centimeters. After a few seconds of thought, his mouth started to slowly stretch outward like silly putty, an obvious indication that he was up to no good.

"Well, there is _one_ thing."

**What's that?**

"I am completely…"

He stopped here to playfully kiss the place where Celty's neck and shoulder formed an almost right angle.

"…and totally…"

There was another kiss here.

"…in love with you."

Yet another kiss.

Celty would roll her eyes if she had them in her possession, but she couldn't hide the fact that she returned Shinra's feelings due to the heart-shaped cloud of smoke dancing its way out of her neck.

**I already knew that, silly.**

Shinra snuggled closer to her, still grinning uncontrollably.

"Well, a little reminder never hurts."


	5. Idiots

Author's Note: Yes, this is my second addition today. Like I said, I'm in a good mood. This one's just a quick, mindless drabble.

* * *

**Idiots**

**You're an idiot, you know.**

She types these playful words, smoke coming out of her neck in small bursts as if she is giggling.

"Oh, am I?" he replies equally playfully, draping his arm around her lovingly.

**Yes.**

She makes a motion resembling a nod.

**But I suppose falling in love with an idiot makes me an idiot too.**

He smiles back at her, holding her even more tightly than before.

"Well, I guess that similarity is just one more reason we're perfect for each other."

Her arms place themselves around his waist, happily hugging him back.

**I guess so.**


	6. Sweeter Than Frosting

**Sweeter Than Frosting**

Everything from Celty's waist up to the bottom of her neck was covered with white frosting, the 'Happy Birthday!' message that had adorned the cake thirty seconds ago now totally illegible. The cake itself was marble, Shinra's favourite, and maybe some of it could be salvaged – there were some areas that hadn't touched the floor – but it definitely didn't look pretty anymore.

Shinra bent worriedly over his girlfriend, who was lying completely frozen on the floor in a state of shock and despair.

"Celty! Are you okay?"

The Dullahan wiped her hand on a nearby rug before typing a response.

**No, I'm not okay! I couldn't make you a cake by myself, but I thought I could at least buy one! Now I can't even give you that much!**

Shinra assumed wanting to give him a proper gift was some sort of a girl thing, but it didn't make any sense to him. Didn't Celty know that her mere _existence_ made him happy as a clam? He opened his mouth to tell her, but again reminded himself that Celty was a girl, and solving a problem with a girl was never simple. Telling her how he felt _should_ make her feel better, but he knew right away that it wouldn't. She would probably just run off to the shower to clean herself off and then storm out the door requesting to be alone. So instead, he decided to go into more detail.

"Celty, honey," he said, lowering himself to the floor to envelop her in a hug, "it's already enough of a gift to me that you're staying here with me even when I act like an idiot."

Celty did the best she could to reach her cell phone without rejecting the hug.

**Now you're all covered in frosting!**

Yet again, Shinra questioned whether Celty really comprehended just how much he loved her. He didn't care about the frosting one bit! Didn't she know that he would dive head-first into a pool of carrot juice (which he completely abhorred) if it meant he could hold her in his arms?

"You think I care?" He chuckled. "The frosting is the best part of a cake!"

As if to prove this point, he stock his finger into an orange blob, which must have initially been a frosting flower, on the side of Celty's neck and licked it.

**Shinra, I really want to give you some kind of actual gift! It's your birthday!**

Shinra sighed. Clearly she wasn't grasping the whole I-don't-need-a-gift concept. Of course, that was to be expected. Celty would always want to give more than she had to because she was so sweet, far sweeter than the coating of frosting that she wore.

Then, he had an idea, an absolutely brilliant idea, quite possibly the greatest idea he had come up with in his life! If Celty insisted upon giving him a gift, he would just have to request one.

'Well, there is _one_ thing you could give me."

Celty must have seen the look on his face and known that he was up to no good.

**I am not getting naked for you!**

Well, that would have been a good idea too, but it wasn't what he'd had in mind.

"That's not what I'm asking for, my darling!" he assured her. "At least not yet," he added in a voice that was somewhat quieter, but not quiet enough to prevent a light punch in the gut.

**Then what do you want?**

"What I want it actually something I've mentioned a few times before." Shinra's already immense smile grew. "Celty…" He grabbed a hold of her hand and squeezed. "Will you marry me?"

After a brief shock-induced pause, Celty typed her answer.

**Yes!**

Shinra jumped a bit at the news. He wasn't really sure how he expected her to respond; this was all too spontaneous. But this was definitely a pleasant surprise! He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Y-you really mean it?"

**Of course! I love you.**

"Oh, Celty!" He glomped her, holding her more tightly than ever before, so tightly she might begin to suffocate were she human. "I love you too! I love you so much!" He began to spin her around, laughing out of pure joy.

One thing was for sure. Nobody in the world could have received a better birthday present.


	7. The End of Eternity

**The End of Eternity  
**

A few years ago, something like this would have seemed silly to her. She'd never been a fan of Romeo and Juliet; it seemed ridiculous to her for two strangers to hit it off at a party, decide to elope an hour later, and end up taking their own lives because they were just _so_ in love. The whole thing was just incredibly cheesy.

But her current situation was different. This was not a matter of waiting a few decades to reunite with a deceased lover in the afterlife. This was a matter of waking up day after day for _at least_ centuries, if not forever, longing to cycle billions of tear-stained tissues through the garbage, but not being able to actually cry even once.

Eternity had to end then and there. She would do whatever she possibly could to _make_ it end. It was only a matter of cleaning up a bit before selling the house, tying up any loose ends that may be left.

And the last of those loose ends was her horse.

To say she wouldn't miss him would be a lie. His company had helped her through several conflicts throughout her existence. Just sitting on his back and tuning out everything else as the scenery of the city sped by her like a movie on fast-forward was a stress-reliever that she wouldn't have stayed sane for so long without. That horse had given her so much, and she was thankful for that, but this was one problem the horse couldn't solve.

She wouldn't be able to repay her dear friend for all he had done through the years, but she would at least place him in the hands of someone she knew would give him proper care. That was what brought her to Mikado's driveway.

"What is it, Celty-san?" the adolescent inquired, the pupils in his slate-coloured eyes bigger and more sympathetic than usual.

Stepping off of her horse for the last time, she held her phone in front of the boy.

**I need you to do something for me. It's really important.**

Mikado was clearly becoming more worried by the second.

"W-what do you need me to do?

**See this bike?**

She motioned toward the being that had become just as much a subject of rumours and zalous gossip as herself.

**It's actually my horse.**

"I see." Mikado nodded, hesitantly reaching out to pet the handlebars gently.

**I have to go, Mikado-kun. And I need you to take care of my horse for me. Please.**

Had the last word been spoken aloud, a lot of emphasis would have been placed on it. She needed this one last favour from him; she really, truly needed it.

"Okay," the boy agreed, looking at her helmet where a normal person's eyes would be. "When will you be coming back?"

She knew he knew the answer to that question, but that didn't stop her from wanting to cry as she looked at his naively hopeful face and typed out her response.

**I'm not coming back, Mikado-kun.**

Mikado's mouth opened abruptly, but closed at the last minute. He was a smart kid; he knew arguing and interrogation wouldn't change the present situation.

"I'll do my best to take care of him," he agreed. "And I'm not going to stop you from doing whatever you're about to do. But Celty-san…"

**Yes?**

"I'll miss you."

She shoved her phone in his direction, not daring to look back at the tears that were now freeing themselves from his eyes.

**I'll miss you too, Mikado-kun. I am happy to have been friends with you.**

And with that, she ran away, leaving her horse and everything else behind as she set off to regain possession of the head that was rightfully hers.

To destroy it.

* * *

Author's Note: Wow, that was totally depressing. Sorry 'bout that. But don't worry about being in a bad mood for the rest of the day because I have already written the next oneshot, and it's purely cute and happy!


	8. Through the Years

Author's Note: As promised, here's a nice, cutesy, fluffy chapter to make up for that last one. It's not as well-written as my usual stuff, but I'm too impatient to wait for someone to beta it, and I do like the way the dialogue turned out.

* * *

**Through the Years**

Celty loved blizzards. Even if she insisted on working (not because she wanted to, but because it was part of her nature to push herself harder than necessary), Shinra wouldn't allow her to set foot outside during a snowstorm. It didn't really make sense for him to be concerned – she couldn't exactly catch a cold, and even if she were to get frostbite, it would heal immediately – but it was sweet of him to worry about her, and she was thankful to be getting a break.

Today was one of those glorious days, complete with blocked off roads and a lack of power. Some residents of the apartment had complained about not having a generator, but Celty was delighted to set fire to some scented candles and place them all over the residence, albeit somewhat jealous of normal couples that could eat together by candlelight. _Oh, well,_ she shrugged. _We can still just sit at the table and talk. Or type, in my case._

As Celty slipped her pale index finger into the tiny box, she realized that she had used up the last match. With a sigh of black fog, she set for the cupboard. However, upon opening the drawer and digging through the clutter, something caught her eye (figuratively speaking, of course) and pushed her search for a matchbox down on her list of priorities.

It was something she hadn't seen in eighteen years and hadn't thought about in at least five. The paper was somewhat torn and yellowed after years of confinement, but after brushing off some dust, she could still see the scribbled Crayola hues clearly.

"What'cha doin'?"

Shinra was now standing in the bedroom doorway, leaning forward curiously with his head pressed against the side.

Celty would have questioned his perfect timing if she weren't so use to this type of thing. She had admitted to herself years ago that the man had some type of ability to read her thoughts, as had been proven time and time again.

**Look what I found!**

The doctor walked up behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder to see the discovery in her lap.

"Hey, I remember that! How old was I when I drew it? Six?"

**I think so.**

The two were now settled next to each other (and probably only minutes away from being on top of each other, smothering each other with cuddles) on their still unmade bed, examining the until then forgotten card. While Shinra could tell what Celty was thinking at all hours of the day, it rarely worked the other way around, but Celty was pretty sure her boyfriend was experiencing a mental flashback to the moment he had given her the card, as was she.

* * *

This particular day was also cold, though only an inch or two of snow dressed the ground. It would have been a decent day for Shinra to be outside making a snowman (The weird kid would probably make a headless one in her honour.), but a bad case of strep throat had left him imprisoned indoors for the past three days.

Celty was on her way to the couch with a bowl of microwaveable chicken noodle soup. But to her surprise, the boy was not lying lethargically in front of the TV watching cartoons as he had been earlier.

Before she had the chance to wonder what kind of trouble Shinra was getting into, a light tap on her back answered her question.

The Dullahan looked behind her to see a flushed face on top of a three-and-a-half-foot frame with its tiny hands behind its back. The hands came forward to reveal a piece of tablet paper folded in half.

"This is for you, Celty-san!" The first grader's soft voice was scratchy from swelling of the throat, and the sentence was punctuated with a cough, but his enthusiasm didn't waver.

Celty placed the bowl of soup on the coffee table and knelt down to gently remove the card from the boy's hands, smiling internally. The front of the card featured primitive drawings of a headless figure in a frilly white dress next to a noticeably taller man in a tuxedo. Scattered around the two were flowers of every colour of the rainbow. Inside, in messy, but completely legible, letters, it said, "Dear Celty, Happy Valentine's Day! I love you! Love, Shinra." The words were surrounded by at least fifty red hearts.

After closing the card, Celty reached for a nearby pad of paper and a ballpoint pen.

**Is this a wedding dress?**

She pointed to the disproportionate torso of the headless person.

"Yep," Shinra nodded vigorously like a bobblehead. "I was thinking, when I'm older, your body will still be the same age as it is now, so we can get married!"

Knowing better than to be unnerved by the fact that no normal six-year-old would think of that, Celty couldn't help but think that this was quite possibly the cutest thing she had ever witnessed, at least as far back as she could remember.

**Thank you, Shinra. I love it**

"You're we-" The child's reply was interrupted with a sneeze, reminding Celty of his current ailment.

**Did you make this today? You're sick. You should have been resting.**

"I'm sorry." Shinra lowered his head. "But it's Valentine's Day, and I had to give you _something_!"

It wasn't worth arguing. Shinra wasn't in tip-top physical condition, but he was happy, and that was probably more important. She supposed a hug would make him feel better than any medicine could.

Placing her hands behind his back and pulling him into her, she could see the boy smiling like he'd just received the hottest new toy. It didn't seem as if he was planning on letting go in the next month. Celty hesitantly pulled away, careful to do so slowly and gently in order to avoid breaking his little heart, and gripped the pen again.

**Now, go eat your soup before it gets cold!

* * *

**

"Roger that!" The boy saluted, his huge grin still lingering, and sat down at the coffee table to slurp down his meal.

**You were so adorable.**

Celty wasn't sure when, but at some point in her reminiscence, she had subconsciously placed her neck and the area where her head would be on Shinra's chest.

"Hey!" The doctor pulled his arm tighter around her. "What's with the use of the past tense?"

Celty was sure her lover could see the eye roll that wasn't actually there, but she wouldn't deny that he had a point.

**Fine, fine. You're still adorable now.**

Shinra was now wearing a smile that said, "Aren't I sweet? Can't you see my halo?" The answer to the former was, of course, a big fat yes. Truthfully, he had only become cuter (and more childish) with age.

**You know, you haven't changed a bit.**

He wagged his finger at her teasingly. "Now, that's not true. As I predicted when making this card, I have surpassed you in height."

That really wasn't much of an accomplishment, seeing as Celty's height ended at her neck, but there was no reason to bring this up.

"And," he continued, that lovable idiotic smile of his expanding, "I love you even more now than I did back then."

**You also say cornier things now than you did back then.**

Shinra chuckled and pulled her in tighter. "Well, clearly, I'm doing something right. After twenty long years, I finally managed to win your heart. Well, not literally, but you know what I mean."

She knew very well what he meant, and he was certainly not mistaken in assuming that she returned his feelings. Wrapping her own arms around him as his were wrapped around her, she could feel heart-shaped puffs relentlessly pouring out of her neck.


	9. Driven Crazy

Author's Note: Only two more episodes left; I think I'm gonna _die_! :( Not to mention, I saw a _certain_ picture from the recently released volume eight that has me very worried, but I don't know Japanese, so even if I bought the book I'd have no idea what's going on. If you've seen this picture, surely you know what I'm talking about. Will someone who's read the book just tell me who did this to my boyfriend and exactly how bad the damage was? I cannot concentrate on my exams; this is bothering me too much. _Onegai desu!_

But anyway, this oneshot has nothing to do with the aforementioned...er..._conflict_. It's perfectly cute and happy, and it was inspired by the video game scene in episode 22. Enjoy!

* * *

**Driven Crazy**

Shinra's wireless controller fell to the floor as he experienced the familiar sensation of Celty's fist in his abdomen. Through clenched teeth, the corners of his mouth managed to form a smile. He wasn't a masochist or anything, but his beloved headless horsewoman _was_ touching him, even if it wasn't in the most loving manner.

**You let me win!**

Shoot, he'd been caught. Not that he was surprised at Celty being able to see through his evil plan; she knew him almost as well as he knew her.

"Whatever are you talking about, my love?" Shinra feigned innocence, not expecting Celty to buy it for one second.

The screen that consequently appeared in front of his face was no surprise.

**Don't play dumb! You drove off that cliff on purpose!**

The doctor sighed and shook his head in defeat. There was no use in trying to defy Celty.

"Maybe I did," he admitted.

It was after these words escaped his lips that Shinra remembered something he had seen earlier in the controversial game of Mario Kart. A sly grin appeared on his face. Naturally, he would have to bring this observation to Celty's attention.

"But you're not so high and mighty yourself, Celty," he continued. "You were right behind me when you picked up that red shell, but you waited to throw it until Wario got in front of you."

He could see Celty jump a bit at this, proving that his theory was not incorrect. Still, she fruitlessly attempted to defend herself.

**I just didn't want to throw it at Toad because he's cute, and I would feel bad. Wario, on the other hand, is far from cute, and I didn't feel guilty at all about hitting him.**

Shinra's smile grew. As pathetic as her excuse was, Celty was quite adorable when flustered. Plus, she was leaving the door wide open for some teasing.

"I only chose to play as Toad because _you_ were playing as Toadette," he said matter-of-factly. "Besides, you say that you showed me mercy because you find Toad cute, but could it perhaps be _me_ that you find cute?"

By looking at Celty's body language, he could tell that this comment bothered her more than any of the previous ones, but…

**That's beside the point!**

…She wasn't denying it.

"Oh no, it's perfectly relevant," he insisted, making his way behind the Dullahan's pajama covered figure and leaning forward to rest his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"But it's okay, honey. I happen to think that you're pretty cute yourself."

He turned his face downward to plant a playful kiss on said shoulder, subsequently returning it to its previous position and do a little nuzzling.

After a few seconds of acceptance, Celty turned around to reveal a message on her cell phone.

**You're an idiot.**

Shinra proceeded to hug her once again, this time from the front. Her line may be uncreative, but he counterattacked with an equally clichéd one.

"Maybe so, but I'm _your_ idiot."


	10. Things Best Left Unsaid

Author's Note: Well, Durarara! is officially over. The anime, that is. Thank the heavens that anni_fiesta is translating the novels. I might die otherwise. Oh, and it's getting dubbed! (So is Hetalia. I need to get caught up on Hetalia.) Let's keep our fingers crossed that they don't screw this one up! Why am I talking about things that have nothing to do with my story? Uguu. I'll just shut up now.

* * *

**Things Best Left Unsaid**

As usual, the first thing Celty heard upon walking through the door after work was Shinra's voice saying, "Welcome home!"

He was sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of spaghetti. Naturally, he insisted on having dinner together, despite her inability to eat, but today she had been caught in heavy traffic and sent a text message instructing him to begin eating without her. Clearly he had listened, though eating alone was apparently a somewhat difficult task, as shown by the tomato sauce messily displayed all over the general area of his mouth.

Celty gave a sigh of smoke as she sat down across from him and placed her helmet on the table. She took a napkin to his face and wiped away the red abomination, wondering if he would always maintain the mentality of a five-year-old with medical knowledge and sexual desires.

Before she had a chance to pull her hand away from his face, he grabbed a hold of it and bowed his head down to kiss it, smiling childishly.

Yes, she told herself, he probably _would_ always be immature, but she wouldn't complain. She wouldn't deny that she loved him to death.

After he released his grip from her hand, she typed him a greeting.

**Hey, how was your day?**

Celty didn't exactly want to hear about the gory details of Shinra's profession, and it didn't seem appropriate for dinnertime, but he usually didn't talk too much about the blood-and-guts aspect of it in her presence out of what she assumed was some type of chivalry.

Shinra swallowed a mouthful of pasta (After all these years, it seemed he was finally learning not to talk with his mouth full!) before replying, "Actually, something interesting happened! I stopped at the grocery store on my way home – Yes, I did get the soap you wanted – and when I was checking out, the cashier hit on me!"

Celty's first thought was that the cashier clearly didn't know Shinra very well; if she did she probably wouldn't want to flirt with him. But then she felt something…unpleasant in her gut. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was pretty sure the feeling was jealousy. The knowledge that another woman wanted Shinra was something completely foreign to her, and she instinctively felt possessive of him.

_If another Dullahan appears and seduces him, he may have his heart stolen just like that._

No, she wouldn't allow herself to think like that! Shinra was loyal! He would never abandon her, right?

**Really?**

He nodded. "Yep. She asked me if I wanted to go get a drink with her sometime."

Shinra's eyes narrowed on her, probably reading her thoughts like he did so often, and then his face brightened back to its normal dorky expression.

"But don't you worry, Celty!" he beamed. "I told her, 'No thank you! I already have the most beautiful girlfriend in the world!'"

Flattered, but uninterested in Shinra's bragging, Celty decided to ask for some more details.

**So, this cashier, was she pretty?**

Oh crap, why did she ask that? Yes, she was curious, but she should have _thought_ before she just asked the question flat out like that!

Shinra rested his chin on his fist and looked up absentmindedly. "Eh…I guess some would say she was, but you know me, I like my women headless!"

His words were obviously meant to be reassuring, but they just made the echo of Izaya's voice even louder.

_Just like that._

Okay, screw it, she wasn't going to suffer in silence! It was better that she voice her concerns to Shinra now.

**Actually, there's something I've been wondering…**

"Oh?" Shinra looked at her, his brown eyes widening with concern behind his glasses. "What's the matter, sweetie?"

**Well, it's just that I was thinking…If you met another Dullahan, would you fall in love with her?**

At first, Shinra just looked shocked, as if there was nothing more horrifying than loving a woman other than herself, but then he relaxed, moving behind her seat and hugging her from behind.

"Oh, Celty, honey, you don't _ever_ have to worry about that!" His hand somehow found her own and squeezed it. "I'll admit that I was initially attracted to you because you weren't human, but our love is much stronger than that now! I have spent nearly_ twenty-one years _with you! No other Dullahan has that going for her!"

Celty could feel the muscles in her shoulders relaxing in relief.

**Thank goodness. I don't think I could handle losing you.**

There it was, yet another thing she shouldn't have said so straightforwardly! It was kind of hypocritical of her to constantly ask Shinra to refrain from saying embarrassing things if she wasn't going to follow her own advice.

Naturally, Shinra seemed pretty happy about the way she had just humiliated herself; she could feel him holding on to her more tightly. Directing her sensors to the back of her neck, she could see a stupid grin on his face.

_An adorable stupid grin, that is._

Suddenly it made no sense to Celty how no female aside from herself had ever become attracted to Shinra before. He was freaking _gorgeous_.

**Is this really the first time someone other than me has shown interest in you?**

"Yeah. Is that surprising?"

**Well, yeah. You're good-looking.**

It wasn't until she saw Shinra smile mischievously that Celty could tell she had said something against her better judgment yet again. Great. The last thing she needed to do was inflate his ego.

"I'm good-looking?"

And yet for some reason, she genuinely liked seeing that look on his face, and she felt the need to say something else stupid.

**I think you are.**

Just as she had desired, his smile grew, and he began nuzzling her neck enthusiastically.

"I love you, Celty."

**I love you too.**

Maybe some things, such as those last four words of hers, were best left unsaid. That didn't, however, mean that she had any intention to stop saying them.


End file.
